Scientists from the "Köpetdag", "Bathyz", "Köýtendag", and "Gaplaňgyr" State Nature Reserves have conducted joint field research to locate and monitor the elusive Pallas's cat (manul) in the high-altitude zone of the Kopetdag mountains.

In the 4th edition of the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (published in 2024), the species is listed as "endangered," while the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as "near threatened." Although historical records from the late 19th and mid-20th centuries note frequent sightings across Turkmenistan's mountain ranges, precise data on its population and habitat had become extremely limited.

Through field monitoring conducted since 2018, researchers successfully documented the presence of the Pallas's cat in Dushakerekdag, the Köpetdag reserve area, Murze Mountain, Dashtoy Gorge, and the Great Balkan. Furthermore, during joint winter surveys with the Balkan Region Environmental Protection Department, the species was camera-trapped in the Little Balkan range.

The Pallas's cat is a small wild felid recognized by its thick reddish fur, short legs, and distinctive facial stripes. Unlike other wild cats, its slower speed makes it rely on camouflage and ambush tactics near rodent burrows and rock crevices, making it one of the most elusive and least studied species in the region.